Automatic control for boiler feed pumps



Aug. 15, 1950 P. BACKUS 2,5l8,654

AUTOMATIC CONTROL FOR BOILER FEED PUMPS Filed Oct. 15, 1947 IIIAII l A;

INVENTOR. .4010; R 54cm;

5 ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 15, 1950 Louis 1?.Bachus, Philadelphia, Pa, Application October 13, 194'}, Serial N 0. 179,448

This invention relates, in, general, to means, for maintaining a predetermined head or level of water in a steam generating boiler, and has for its principal'object theprovision of a simpli fled apparatus of the kind indicated.

A more particular object of theinvention is to provide an inexpensive, simplified device, which may be attached to substantially any type of steam generating boiler, industrial or domestic, for the purpose of automaticall regulating the feed of water into the boiler, in order to maintain a predetermined safetylevel of water there- 7 m. A specific object of the:inventionis the provision of a simplified automatic control for the water feed pump of asteam boiler.

A further object is to provide a device of simplified design and inexpensive construction, and applicable to substantially all types of steam gen-. erating boilers.

Additional objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds, and will be best understood by reference to the drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical, sectional view, partly in elevation, of an embodiment of the invention, operatively coupled to the water-supply pump of a steam generating boiler;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a component part of the slide valve assembly; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the water level float and the attached slide valve means.

In the drawings, l designates a casing having a cap I l threadedly secured thereto and provided with an opening which accommodates a pipe [2 communicating with a steam generating boiler (not shown). Within the upper portion of the chamber of the casing I0, a valve member, indicated generally at l3, and having a disclike configuration, is fixedly secured in any suitable manner, as by a drive fit.

The valve member I3, which is formed with a central opening 13a, is provided with a marginal opening or outlet port [4 which, as hereinafter described, may be aligned with an outlet or valve opening l5, to which a pipe l5a is secured; the pipe 15a also being secured to a steam-operated water pump, indicated generally at P and connected in turn with the above-mentioned boiler. A manually controlled valve, indicated generally at It, in the pipe line l5a, affords means to restrict the volume of steam from the casing chamber to the said water pump.-

By inspection of Figure 2, it will be noted that the valve member I3 is provided with two inwardly directed slots or grooves l1, 18 arranged in opposed relation, the slot I8 being adjacent to C a ms. (01. 103-14.)

and aligned with the outlet port M of the said member. The opposed slots I, I3 function as guides or slide runways for shoes or plates i9 29 arranged in spaced, opposed relation and fixedly joined by a web or strut 2| having a re.- inforeed central portion, as at 22. To the cent al portion .22 9f the web or strut 2,1, the upper end of'a valve stem or rod 23 isiastened, the lower end of the said rod being threadedly secured to a hollow ball float 24. The shoes I9, 26.

with their joining strut 2|, together with the valve stem 23' and the ball float 24, constitute a movable valve assembly A, which coacts with the seat of thevalve opening P5 to admit steairn into the pipe a and thence through the normally open va'lve Hi to the pump P. When the shoe 20, as described hereinafter, is raised sufficiently to close the valve opening I5, it will be understood that the operation of the pump will be stopped, or until the level of the water in the boiler and consequently the casing has permitted the float 24 to descend to a point where the attached stem and'valve shoe 29 reopens the said valve. With a view to maintaining the float 24 in alignment with the inner surface of the wall of the casing, the exterior peripher of the float may be provided with beads or protuberances, as at 25.

The casing I0 is also provided with a water inlet opening 26, which is connected by the pipe 21, elbow 28, and longitudinally extending pipe 29 to the lower or water containing portion of the steam generating boiler (not shown).

The function and mode of operation of the device have been in large measure indicated above, but may be summarized as follows:

With a given level of water and a predetermined pressure of steam, the water will rise in the casing in to the same height as in the boiler, and since the force exerted by the steam entering the casing through the pipe I2 is counterbalanced by the equal pressure of the Water from the same boiler, the float 24 is fre to rise with the column of water in the lower portion of the casing. In the position illustrated in Figure 1, it will be noted that steam entering through the pipe I2 may still pass out through the opening or port M in the valve member l3, and thence through the partially open valve opening I5 and the water pump, via the pipe 15a and valve I3, the pump P then forcing water into the boiler. This operation, it will be understood, will be continued until the float 2&- raises the shoes i9, 2!] to a position where the valve shoe fully closes the outlet or valve port of the casing. The generation of steam will continue until the level oi water again falls to a point where its corresponding head in the lower part of the casing [0 allows the float 24 to again move th right-hand valve element 20 to a point efiective for partially opening the steam outlet port of the casing, when the same cycle of functions described above will recommence. It is to be further understood that the radius of curvature of the ball float 24 will permit it to rest on the top of the water supply pipe 26 without obstructing the flow of water either into or out of the casing II].

It will be observed that the design and construction are of the utmost simplicity, and of such a type that the device may readily be applied to not only stationary and mobile steam engines, but also to standard industrial types employed in the steam generation of power, or for steam heating purposes. The device also lends itself to the convenient and economical control of domestic steam heating installations with a minimum of change to existing installations.

While certain preferred embodiments of the invention are hereinbefore set forth, it is to be clearly understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exact construction illustrated and described because various modifications of the details may be provided in putting the invention into practice within the purview of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an automatic control for the water pump of a steam boiler, the combination of a. cylindrical casing having a bottom formed .with a water inlet and a top formed with a steam inlet, a ring-like valve member secured to said cylindrical casing and having a valve opening in alignment with a corresponding opening in the Wall of said casing, and adapted to communicate with said water pump, said ring-like valve member being formed with slideways parallel to the axis of said casing, a valve member including slides reciprocal in said slideways and one of which is adapted to close said opening in the ring-like valve member, a ball float in said casing above said bottom, and a link connecting said float to said valve member having the sides.

2. In an automatic control for the water pump of a steam boiler, the combination of: a cylindrical casing normally assuming a vertical position, a flat bottom for said casing formed with a circular opening adapted to function as a water inlet, a cover for the other end of said casing having a steam inlet, a ring-like valve member secured to said cylindrical casing and having a valve opening in alignment with a corresponding opening in the wall of said casing, and adapted to communicate with said Water pump, said ringlike valve member being formed with slideways parallel to the axis of said casing, a valve member including slides reciprocal in said slideways and one of which is adapted to close said opening in the ring-like valve member, a ball float in said casing adapted to rest on said bottom and having a curvature leaving the opening in said bottom, at least partially open when said ball rests thereon, and a link connecting said ball float to said valve member carrying the slides.

LOUIS P. BACKUS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 1 Date 245,778 Brazelle Aug. 16, 1881 788,725 Lorenzen May 2, 1905 818,525 7 Danke Apr. 24, 1906 1,354,619 McMillan Oct. 5, 1920 

